Travel: Where To Eat In Colonial Williamsburg

I’m not a very frequent (or good) traveler. You guys probably know by now that I’m a set-in-her-ways homebody, and I don’t really like stepping away from my routine. There are a few exceptions to that lifestyle, though, and Colonial Williamsburg is one of them (the other is Hilton Head Island, where my family has been vacationing since my parents went on their honeymoon).

My mom and I usually travel together to Colonial Williamsburg twice a year, and we have a set routine as far as what do and where we go when in town for a mini getaway. You can read a lot more about our general itinerary here, but today I wanted to specifically talk about food. Keep scrolling to peruse my list of where to eat in Colonial Williamsburg, including my picks for best traveler-friendly breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and a bonus pick for late night fun, even though I rarely indulge in that anymore, haha).

Where To Eat When Visiting Colonial Williamsburg:

1. Our first stop when we get to town is always The Cheese Shop. We adore their delicious sandwiches and Mom and I each have our go-to order. It somehow always tastes exactly the same, even 10 years later. I love that! It can get a little (or a lot) crowded inside the small food shop, but the line moves quickly, and it really is a CW staple. By the way, I always get a turkey sandwich on french bread with cheddar cheese and house dressing. Don’t skip the house dressing! They’re famous for it for a reason. *best lunch

2. A few years ago, we discovered the Wine Cellar located in the basement of The Cheese Shop. They have lots of tables down there at which you can eat your Cheese Shop lunch, plus wine/beer to enjoy. Now we always bee-line down to the tables in the Cellar after ordering sandwiches upstairs, and get a chilled bottle of Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc. It’s so tasty and the atmosphere is very relaxing. *best wine bar

3. Breakfast is always, always spent at The Blue Talon. We love the relaxed, quiet ambiance, and their menu caters well to all sorts of different tastes and appetites. You can get a huge platter of food, or just something small off their a la carte menu. Mom and I usually split the eggs benedict, and it’s somehow always cooked perfectly (which is not easy to do if you’re a benny connoisseur!). The staff isn’t always the friendliest, but we’ve gotten used to that and it’s not a bother anymore. The food and atmosphere are worth it! *best breakfast

4. Another favorite place for breakfast is Aromas, which is right across the street from The Blue Talon. We used to go there all the time, but it has gotten super busy over the years, and it’s just not quite as relaxing. You order up at a counter at Aromas, and they have a great menu with everything you could hope for at breakfast time. They also have really good made-to-order coffee.

5. When it comes to dinner, Mom and I have a lot of opinions. I won’t go too deeply into those here, but I wanted to at least share the gist! One of our stand-by dinner spots has always been The Terrace Room at the Williamsburg Inn. I would categorize it as very fine dining with pretty high prices, but you absolutely get what you pay for: a gorgeous elegant atmosphere, decadent food, and lovely extras, like dinner rolls and softened salted butter. Our only complaint is the service. The waiters we’ve had the past few years have consistently been either really pushy or completely disinterested in us. It’s still 100% worth it, but just go into it without expecting much by way of service. Hopefully, they have some turnover soon and it goes back to being the perfect place for a splurge dinner.

6. We’ve since been expanding our options for dinner, and are now pretty smitten with Sweet Tea & Barley over in the neighboring Williamsburg Lodge. We can still walk there from our hotel room, and they have a great menu, too. It’s a little more causal than The Terrace Room, but we love the cozy vibe, and the staff are a little friendlier than what we experience at the Inn. The Fried Yard Bird and “The Original” burger are both incredible. *best dinner

7. If we feel like going “off campus” (in other words, getting in our car and driving somewhere other than the historic area of Colonial Williamsburg), we really love Second St Bistro. It feels a little “chainy,” but the menu is huge and everything we’ve had there has been delicious. It’s great for dinner, but I also love it for lunch. My sister and I used to go there a lot when she lived and worked in CW. Bonus: it’s just across the street from one of our favorite consignment shops in the area, The Velvet Shoestring.

8. Another “off campus” favorite is The Hounds Tale. It can get pretty crowded and loud, but if that doesn’t bother you then it’s just such a cool place to go. One of my favorite memories from when my sister lived there was going to The Hounds Tale and getting a spot at the bar where we ate from a variety of small plates. Highly recommend. *best late night atmosphere

Comment and let me know if you’ve tried other delicious foodie places not listed in my post! I forgot to mention that La Tolteca is our favorite place to get Mexican in town. Oh, and we’ve tried the Williamsburg Winery tasting room at Merchants Square, but didn’t love the wine, so that’s why we always go to the Cheese Shop Cellar now. We have yet to try Fat Canary, but I know that’s a town favorite. We also like the look of the menu at DoG Street Pub, so maybe we’ll give that a try in the fall.

We’re also notorious for overpacking our own food and simply snacking on wine and cheese in our room at the Griffin since it’s so calming (and cheap, haha). Someday, I’d like to pack a picnic and eat lunch right there in the historic area amongst the carriages, quaint homes, and happy birds. What have you tried and loved to eat in Colonial Williamsburg?